Mail catcher and deliverer.



"PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

s. T. LONG. MAIL GATGHBR AND DELIVBRBR.

- APPLIOATION FILED 00118, 1907.

nvemfoz SAMUEL T. LONG, OF WEBB CITY, MISSOURI.

' MAIL CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed October 18, 1907. Serial No. 398,013.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. LONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webb City, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention deals with devices applied to a postal car to effect delivery and to receive mail at a station While the train is in motion, being designed most especially to provide improved means of the character aforesaid, which will retain the matter when taken up by the catcher and to ease the shock to the deliverer when relieved of the matter supported thereby for discharge.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

. ease the shock.

WVhile the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a deliverer and catcher embodying the invention, the catcher being folded and the deliverer extended and in position to effect discharge of a mail bag. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the catcher showing more clearly the buffer mounted upon the shaft to Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the catcher on theline 00*00 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the deliverer and a brace therefor. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an end portion of the stay for holding the deliverer extended or in operative position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The catcher consists of a shaft 1, hook 2 and casting 3, the latter being molded upon the shaft 1 and the shank of the hook 2. A handle 4 is fitted to the casting 3 and provides convenient means for throwing the catcher into operative position and holding the same until the mail bag, package or the like is taken up thereby. A buffer 5 is mounted upon an end portion of the shaft 1 and is confined between the casting 3 and the adjacent bearing in which the shaft 1 is mounted and relieves the shock incident to the impact of the bag, package or the like when taken up by the catcher. A spring 6 is provided at one side of the throat or space of the catcher hook and serves to adapt said space to different sizes of bags or packages so as to prevent their rebound and slipping from the hook when taken up thereby. The spring 6 also constitutes a yielding side and in a measure relieves the catcher hook of shock and it also serves as a guard to prevent the mail bag or package striking the edge of the casting 3 in front of which the spring extends. The spring 6 is formed of heavy wire which is doubled upon itself and embraces the shaft 1 in front of the casting 3 and conforms to the curved outline of said casting and has its rear end let into the casting 3. In order to prevent fracture of the spring at its juncture with the casting 3, the latter has the openings in which the ends of the members of the springs 6 are inserted enlarged, as shown at 7, thereby admitting of the spring members having a limited play at their juncture with the casting. The buffer 5, which is of rubber, is enlarged, as shown at 8', to receive the impact of the spring members when compressed by the action of a bag, package or the like striking the spring 6 in the operation of the catcher.

The deliverer consists of a bar 9 and arms 10 extended from opposite ends of the bar and strengthened by means of braces 11. The bar 9 is mounted in bearings 12 secured to the posts or jambs at the sides of the door opening. The deliverer may be arranged at either side of the door opening according to the direction of travel of the car or vehicle. Aspring 13 serves to hold the deliverer folded or in the plane of the door opening, so as to be out of the way. The inner ends 14 of the arms 10 are reduced and the shoulders formed at the outer ends of the reduced portions constitute stops against which braces 15 engage when the deliverer is thrown outward into active position, so as to sustain the shock incident to delivery of the bag, package or the like supported thereby. Fingers 16 are pivoted to the inner sides of the arms 10 near their outer ends and are adapted to support the mail bag 17 or other package in position for delivery. Springs 18 hold the fingers 16 in alinement and admit of their yielding in ICC -- the impact of the braces 15.

either direction. A stay 19 is provided to hold the deliverer extended and is provided at one end with a hook 20 and at its opposite endwith an eye 21. The hook 20 is adapted to engage an eye 22 of the upper arm 10,

whereas the eye 21 is adapted to engage with either a hook 23 or a hook 24 applied to the upper portion of the posts or jambs of the door opening. The bill of the hook 24 extends vertically and is adapted to receive the eye 21 when the stay is used to hold the deliverer extended when the car is standing so that ingress and egress to and from the car may be readily effected. The bill of the hook 23 extends inward in a horizontal direction so as to facilitate automatic disengagement of the stay therefrom after the bag has been discharged, thereby permitting the deliverer to fold quickly so as not to project to come in contact with any object that may, perchance, be in its path. The shank of the hook 20 is slidable in the outer portion of the stay 19 and passes through a bufier 25 and its threaded end receives the nut 26 forming a stop. When the deliverer is subjected to shock, as at the instant of the dis charge of the bag, package or the like supported thereby, said shock is compensated 101' by the buffer 25, and by buflers 27 arranged to support the inner ends of the braces 15.

Each of the braces 15 is provided at its outer end with a pivoted shackle 28 which embraces the reduced portion 14 of the arm 10, said braces being supported at their inner ends by brackets 29 attached to a side of the car, said brackets having slots 30 to receive the pivot pins 31 connecting the braces 15 with the said brackets. The buffers 27 are fitted within the brackets 29 to receive When the deliverer is moved rearward by the shock incident to the discharge of the bag 17, the impact is neutralized by the combined action of the buffers 25 and 27, as will be readily comprehended, and the reaction of said buffers automatically disengages the eye 21 from the hook 23 and the spring 13 being re leased, serves to hold the deliverer so it will not be in the way to engage with anything in its path.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In means of the character described, the

combination of a deliverer mounted to swing about a vertical axis, and a stay for holding the deliverer in operative position, said stay having a buffer to neutralize the shock incident to impact of the bag or matter at the time of delivery.

2. In an appliance of the character specitied, the combination of a deliverer mounted to swing about a vertical axis, a stay for holding the deliverer extended, and means for supporting the stay in operative position and automatically disengaged by the impact of the bag or matter at the time of delivery to permit automatic folding of the deliverer.

3. In means of the character set forth, the combination of a deliverer adapted to swing about a vertical axis, and comprising an ap proximately horizontal arm, and a brace between said arm and the support to which the deliverer is attached, said brace having sliding connection with one of the parts.

l. In means of the character set forth, the combination of a deliverer adapted to swing about a vertical axis, and comprising an approximately horizontal arm, a brace between said arm and the support to which the deliverer is attached, and a shackle pivoted to the brace and having sliding connection with the said arm.

5. In means of the character described, the combination of a deliverer mounted to swing about a vertical axis and comprising a horizon tal arm, a brace between said arm and the support to which the deliverer is attached, said brace having pivotal and sliding connection 

